The Conductors
Mar 2021 · HarperCollins
3.0star
1 reviewreport
Ebook
499
Pages
family_home
Eligible
info
reportRatings and reviews aren’t verified Learn More
About this ebook
“Inventively mixing mystery, magic, and alternate history, Glover's nail-biting debut takes readers to Reconstruction era Philadelphia.” —Publishers Weekly, starred review
Hetty Rhodes and her husband, Benjy, were Conductors on the Underground Railroad, ferrying dozens of slaves to freedom with daring, cunning, and magic that draws its power from the constellations. With the war over, those skills find new purpose as they solve mysteries and murders that white authorities would otherwise ignore.
In the heart of Philadelphia’s Seventh Ward, everyone knows that when there’s a strange death or magical curses causing trouble, Hetty and Benjy are the only ones that can solve the case. But when an old friend is murdered, their investigation stirs up a wasp nest of intrigue, lies, and long-buried secrets—and a mystery unlike anything they handled before. With a clever, cold-blooded killer on the prowl testing their magic and placing their lives at risk, Hetty and Benjy will discover how little they really know about their neighbors . . . and themselves.
“An unforgettable debut . . . Wholly original and thoroughly riveting.” —Deanna Raybourn, New York Times–bestselling author of A Murderous Relation
“A seamless blending of magic, mystery, and history . . . Glover’s worldbuilding, characters, and attention to historical detail create a delightfully genre-bending debut!” —Tananarive Due, American Book Award–winning author of Ghost Summer: Stories
Hetty Rhodes and her husband, Benjy, were Conductors on the Underground Railroad, ferrying dozens of slaves to freedom with daring, cunning, and magic that draws its power from the constellations. With the war over, those skills find new purpose as they solve mysteries and murders that white authorities would otherwise ignore.
In the heart of Philadelphia’s Seventh Ward, everyone knows that when there’s a strange death or magical curses causing trouble, Hetty and Benjy are the only ones that can solve the case. But when an old friend is murdered, their investigation stirs up a wasp nest of intrigue, lies, and long-buried secrets—and a mystery unlike anything they handled before. With a clever, cold-blooded killer on the prowl testing their magic and placing their lives at risk, Hetty and Benjy will discover how little they really know about their neighbors . . . and themselves.
“An unforgettable debut . . . Wholly original and thoroughly riveting.” —Deanna Raybourn, New York Times–bestselling author of A Murderous Relation
“A seamless blending of magic, mystery, and history . . . Glover’s worldbuilding, characters, and attention to historical detail create a delightfully genre-bending debut!” —Tananarive Due, American Book Award–winning author of Ghost Summer: Stories
Ratings and reviews
3.0
1 review
brf1948
- Flag inappropriate
March 2, 2021
I received a free electronic copy of this historical novel from Netgalley, Nicole Glover, and the publisher Houghton-Mifflin, John Joseph Adams, Mariner Books. Thank you all for sharing your hard work with me. I have read this novel of my own volition, and this review reflects my honest opinion of this work. The root of the tale, the Underground Railroad and those 'conductors' who escorted runaway slaves and others needing the amnesty provided in northern states or Canada is well presented and an interesting slant on these folks not often showcased. I did not, however, feel comfortable with the 'magic' aspect of this work. I felt it detracted from the story, rather than enhancing it.
1 person found this review helpful
About the author
Nicole Glover is the author of The Conductors and The Undertakers in the Murder and Magic series. She works as a UX researcher in Virginia. She believes that libraries are magical places and that problems seem smaller with a cup of tea in hand. Her life outside of books includes bicycles, video games, and baking the perfect banana bread.
Rate this ebook
Tell us what you think.
Reading information
Smartphones and tablets
Install the Google Play Books app for Android and iPad/iPhone. It syncs automatically with your account and allows you to read online or offline wherever you are.
Laptops and computers
You can listen to audiobooks purchased on Google Play using your computer's web browser.
eReaders and other devices
To read on e-ink devices like Kobo eReaders, you'll need to download a file and transfer it to your device. Follow the detailed Help Center instructions to transfer the files to supported eReaders.
